Weekly Highlights – March 29th and beyond!

Monday

Rock’n’Roll Trivia at the Mercy Lounge – 6:30pm, 21+
What, you think you know more rock minutia than I do? Well, you’re probably right, but if you really want a challenge then you should hit up this event. It consists of three rounds of questions, two rounds of “name that tune,” and the rock and roll-est of final wagers where you can bet (and possibly lose) it all. The prizes are $50, $25 or $10 to be spent at Mercy Lounge. Plus, everyone gets free parking and beer specials all night. It’s about teams, so grab some friends, yo.

Belmont Camerata Musicale: A Trio of Trios at the Belmont Mansion – 7:30pm
It’s an evening of music featuring Bruch’s Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Viola and Piano, Op. 8, Jolivet’sPastorale de Noel for Flute, Bassoon and Harp and Beethoven’s Serenade in D Major for Flute, Violin and Viola, Op. 25.

Tuesday

Rock the Block at Exit/In – 8pm
Welcome back, Rock the Block! It’s presented by Lake Fever and features Majestico, The Garden Leo, and Missy Johnson. Free tunes, 18+, which is really the only free rock showcase available to people who aren’t quite 21 yet.

International Lens Film Series: As Old As My Tongue at Vandy’s Sarratt Cinema – 7pm
This intimate portrait of Bi Kidude, a tireless performer, sharp-witted raconteur, and probably the oldest singer on the world stage today, challenges assumptions about age and the role of women in Islamic societies. Not Rated. 66 minutes.

New Faces Nite at the Basement – 8pm
This week’s New Faces Nite will introduce you toDon Gallardo, Brooks Ritter, Music By McMinn, Mallorie Haley and some other people (TBA).

Wednesday

Celtic Jam at 12 South Taproom – 6pm
It’s a jam! A Celtic one! At 12 South Taproom!

Laura Bell signs and discusses Claiming Ground at Davis-Kidd Books – 7pm
By turns cattle rancher, forest ranger, wife, and mother, Bell vividly recounts her struggle to find solid earth in which to put down roots. Brimming with careful insight, her story is a heart-wrenching ode to the rough, enormous beauty of the western landscape.

Storytime: Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo! at Davis-Kidd Books – 10am
The mere sneeze of a bug triggers a chain reaction involving, among others, cows, turtles, policemen, and an entire circus parade. Like the Butterfly Effect, for kids? I don’t know.

International Lens Film Series: California Dreamin’ at Vanderbilt’s Sarratt Cinema – 7pm
An American military officer and the marines he commands find themselves stuck in a Romanian backwater called Capalnita. Though they try to force or coax their way out, the locals see their stranding as a major opportunity. This rambunctious, closely observed comedy of cultural collision, levels its satirical gaze at Romania’s foibles and the sometimes lethal absurdities of geopolitics. In Romanian, Spanish, and Italian with English subtitles. Not Rated. 155 minutes.

Thursday

TPAC Reveals 2010-11 Season at Andrew Jackson Hall – 6pm
Be the first of all your friends to know what awesome things are coming to TPAC. Here’s what TPAC has to say about the event:

The evening begins at 6:00pm when you will be ushered to your seat in Andrew Jackson Hall with a glass of champagne. At 6:15pm, we’ll unveil the exciting line-up in our next Broadway season with surprise guest appearances. After the brief presentation, you’ll enjoy light appetizers in the lobby, where you can learn more about each of the shows, purchase season tickets, renew your existing season tickets, or make group reservations.

Off the Wall Lecture: The Ambivalent Heroine: Femininity in Ancient Greece at the Frist – 6:30pm
In a culture in which the dominant ideal was masculine, what made one a heroine? In this Off the Wall lecture Mireille Lee, Ph.D., assistant professor of the history of art at Vanderbilt University, will discuss what it meant to be a heroine in ancient Greek culture.

Nashville Race Fan Festival at Camping World – 5-8pm
I get the sneaky feeling that most of our readers aren’t racing fans, but if you are or know someone who is, well here’s an event for you! Fans can come out and meet a host of NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers, including Ricky Carmichael, Trevor Bayne, Reed Sorenson, Scott Lagasse Jr., Colin Braun and several others. There will be interactive displays at the festival and take home free giveaways. Fans visiting the event will also be automatically entered to win a variety of prizes including tickets to future Nashville Superspeedway events. Camping world is located at 2622 Music Valley Dr.

Tim McGraw and Tom Douglas sign Love Your Heart at Barnes & Noble in Opry Mills
This is one of those events that I don’t know if I should post, because it isn’t exactly free. If you get to this Barnes & Noble at 10am and buy Love Your Heart you can get a numbered wristband to come back at 6pm and meet Tim and Tom. I’ve done something like this for Elvis Costello, and on that occasion they gave wristbands to the first 200, but I’m not sure what the rule is here. Like I said, this is really only free if you were already dead-set on buying the book.

Friday

I honestly couldn’t find anything fantastic happening on Good Friday; I apologize.

Saturday

First Saturday Art Crawl at The Arcade – 6-10pm
Every first Saturday of the month, multiple downtown galleries open their doors to avid art lovers as well as anyone else that is just curious to see what the Gallery Crawl is all about. Over 1,000 people attend this very popular monthly event. Most galleries serve free wine and other refreshments.

Easter Egg Hunts
I could do a whole post on Easter Egg Hunts, but here are a few

East Nashville Egg Hunt at the Edgefield Baptist Church – 11am. There are two age groups, one for those who are under 6 and one for those who are 6-12 years of age

Springtacular at all Borders in the area – 11am
This is a non-egg event for kids this weekend. Springtacular will feature stories, music and crafts. It will be topped off with their annual Spring Parade. One lucky child will win a Laurie Berkner Band CD at each store.

Through the Ranks: Civil War Living History Event at Clement Railroad Hotel Museum – 11am-3pm
The museum closes the exhibit “Hoofbeats in the Heartland: Civil War Cavalry in Tennessee” with a living history event that features a diverse cast of historic characters. Cavalry re-enactor Mark Choate and Abraham Lincoln presenter Dennis Boggs bring their portrayals to Dickson. The day will include rifle demonstrations and an exhibit scavenger hunt. Admission is free.

Emily (Founder/Editor in Chief) : Emily is a graduate from Belmont University, where she majored in Music Business. She’s originally from rural Ohio, where there are many cows, a river, and one vineyard. Though she moved to Seattle in 2015, Emily maintains a love of both Nashville and free things, and is actively looking for contributors for NashvilleForFree.com. If you're interested, reach out to her at emily@nashvilleforfree.com.